Perhaps one of the most popular types of toys through the years may generally be described as food product or food preparation type toys. Such toys are available to produce both genuine food articles which may be consumed by the child as well as those utilizing simulated nonedible type articles. Children of a broad age group seem to enjoy making food treats and the like with particular enthusiasm when an edible food treat is produced. This enthusiasm seems to be particularly evident in connection with toys which mimic food preparation activities to which the child can readily relate and which bear similarity to the adult world about the child.
Faced with the popularity of food preparation toys, practitioners in the art have endeavored to create a great variety of such toy products. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,171,636 issued to Barlow, et al. sets forth a TOY having a base supporting a food scale and a mixing bowl. A mixing assembly having a hand crank apparatus and a pair of downwardly extending mixer beaters is supported proximate the mixing bowl such that the beaters extend thereto. The scale is operative and provides information as to the "secret recipe".
U.S. Pat. Des. No. 183,650 issued to Gaston sets forth a CHILDREN'S TOY having a food hopper within which an extruder mechanism is operative to provide motion of material placed within the hopper through a plurality of frontal holes in the hopper housing. A hand crank is coupled to the extruder apparatus and it would appear that the toy utilizes a plurality of spherical objects which are moved by the extruder as the crank is turned.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,083,651 issued to Cooper sets forth a SANDWICH MAKING DEVICE having a support base upon which a sandwich die is supported. The support base further supports an upwardly extending anvil upon which a hand operated press is supported. The press controls the motion of a second sandwich die such that the handle movement drives the second die downwardly upon the first die to form a sandwich of material placed within the first die. In its anticipated use, a plurality of bread slices having a filler therebetween is positioned within the first die prior to the pressing operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,388,675 issued to Marshall, et al. sets forth a PASTRY FORMING MACHINE having an automated progressive apparatus for forming a plurality of semicircular pastries having a filling formed therein. The pastry forming machine folds a circular outer "crust" to enclose the filling and crimps the outer edges together to complete the filling seal.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,543,053 issued to Jasniewski sets forth a TOOL FOR FORMING A FOLDED PASTRY operative upon a quantity of rolled out pastry dough having an edge for cutting the dough being formed in the shape of the peripheral outline of a pair of circles intersecting at two points. The two points of intersection define a line along which the dough having been cut out by the tool may be folded.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,756 issued to Lindee sets forth a FOOD PRODUCT CRIMPING MECHANISM having a horizontally disposed stationary die and a frame supporting a movable die in position above the stationary die. Actuation means are provided for driving the upper die downwardly upon the stationary die to captivate a sandwich-type product supported upon the stationary die and crimp the edges thereof in a sealing operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,768 issued to Lifshitz, et al. sets forth an APPARATUS FOR MAKING DOUGH ENVELOPES CONTAINING FILLING formed from molded plastic components which includes a frame structure having a plurality of interconnected hexagonal molds so as to form a honeycomb-type structure. Each hexagonal mold includes six inclined cutting edges which are connected about a central inverted conical chamber. The inverted conical chamber partially supports the dough envelope during formation to produce uniformly shaped and pleasing envelopes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,015,518 issued to Roth, et al. sets forth an APPARATUS FOR FORMING A VARIETY OF SHAPED BODIES WITH AN INTERNAL FILLING having a generally cylindrical forming mechanism in communication with a pressurized source of filling material. The filling forming mechanism includes an inner chamber which receives the filling material, means defining a filling material transporting channel to permit the filling material to flow and a generally cylindrical shell member which is supported to obstruct the filling material transporting channel. Means are provided for opening and closing the filling material transporting channel to produce the shaped filled bodies.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,906 issued to Mancini sets forth an APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING RAVIOLI AND THE LIKE having a base, sidewalls rising from the base, a forming roller rotatably coupled to the sidewalls, a platen roller rotatably coupled to the sidewalls and means for feeding two sheets of ravioli dough and associated filling between the rollers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,448,576 issued to Liu sets forth a PASTRY AND DUMPLING MAKER for shaping and forming filled pastries such as dumplings and the like. A pair of cooperating mold sections each defining a pastry shape therebetween are relatively moved into cooperative engagement after each pastry is formed. A flexible strap is suspended above the mold sections and supports a dough skin with the filling placed thereon.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,670 issued to Rodriguez sets forth a TAMALE MAKING METHOD in which a support panel is provided which includes a smooth upper surface and an upstanding abutment or bar extending along one margin of the panel. An open frame is pivotally supported from the upper surface of the panel adjacent the bar and is movable between a closed position and an open position.
Various other food processing apparatus are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,690,248 issued to Schaffer which sets forth an SANITIZABLE PASTRY FOLDING MECHANISM, U.S. Pat. No. 3,782,271 issued to Tobey, et al. which sets forth an AUTOMATIC PIE APPARATUS, U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,455 issued to Figueras, et al. which sets forth a FOOD WRAPPER APPARATUS, U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,918 issued to Funabashi, et al. which sets forth an APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING SEALED SANDWICH STYLE BUNS and a PCT application number PCT/AU86/00046 in the name of Merdy which sets forth a MACHINE FOR MAKING CREPES.
Despite the creation of the prior art devices such as those set forth above, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for evermore amusing and enjoyable food preparation type toys.